A Complete Beginner's Guide to Electric Vehicles
Technology Connections3 HN recommenders · recommended in 3 months, 2022–2026
explainer · intro · evergreen · 2022–2026 on HN
Technology Connections' hour-long guide to electric vehicles, covering costs, trade-offs and especially how little home charging power most drivers need.
Recommended as an entertaining, in-depth beginner's guide that persuades skeptics that a wall outlet often suffices.
Up next
6 mo on HNAll the Numbers - Numberphile
Numberphile
6 HN recommender · 2019–2025
9 mo on HNThe Wrong Way to Set Speed Limits [ST06]
Not Just Bikes
9 HN recommender · 2021–2025
4 mo on HN4.5 Billion Years in 1 Hour
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
4 HN recommender · 2023–2025
4 mo on HNHow to Move the Sun: Stellar Engines
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
3 HN recommender · 2020–2025
1 mo on HNThrowing Good Money After Bad Car Infrastructure - Wonderland Road
Not Just Bikes
1 HN recommend · 2021–2023
1 mo on HNHow to (Quickly) Build a Cycling City - Paris
Not Just Bikes
1 HN recommend · 2022–2022
5 mo on HNWhy don't Americans use electric kettles?
Technology Connections
5 HN recommender · 2022–2025
4 mo on HNiPhone 1 - Steve Jobs MacWorld keynote in 2007 - Full Presentation, 80 mins
Protectstar Inc.
4 HN recommender · 2020–2025
15 mo on HNAround The Corner - How Differential Steering Works (1937)
US Auto Industry
17 HN recommender · 2013–2024
9 mo on HNCities Aren't Loud: Cars Are Loud
Not Just Bikes
10 HN recommender · 2021–2025
5 mo on HNHow Differential Gear works (BEST Tutorial)
ConceptVBS
5 HN recommender · 2013–2020
6 mo on HNA New Car UI: How touch screen controls in cars should work
Matthaeus Krenn
4 HN recommender · 2017–2023
3 comments from Hacker News
For anyone wondering about the practicalities of an EV: cost trade-offs, home charging, and more, this entertaining video goes into extreme depth: ▶ this video
The thing is, for most people a standard wall outlet is plenty. The math works out that a simple 15/20 amp circuit can charge over 40 miles overnight, and the vast majority of people aren't driving more than that for their daily commute plus errands. Level 1 charging is genuinely sufficient most of the time. I was particularly swayed by the technology connections video on this topic I watched before buying my first EV ▶ this video The real pain point, in my opinion, is whether you have any place to plug in nightly. If you don't, then as you pointed out, it becomes a nightmare to own. Range anxiety is completely justified when public charging infrastructure is still as unreliable as it is, years after the initial build outs. Your points about charging pain are all too common. If you have a garage with an outlet, you are generally fine. I lived off a level 1 charger for over a year before I decided I wanted the convenience of a level 2 charger.
> Most people with an EV will be fine with a simple 19kW AC charger in their garage. Technology Connections (of dishwasher fame) goes over why you probably need much less: * ▶ this video